Gearing up for World League – Team USA

Stars and stripes 4EVAH!

We’re almost out of time, so these last few are gonna have to be bunched a little more tightly than I would like. In the interests of total continuity, the rundown:

Egypt Portugal
Japan
Iran
Netherlands
South Korea
Finland
Canada
Italy
Argentina
Serbia
Russia
France
Brazil
Germany
Bulgaria
Cuba
USA
Poland

And now we have another piece where there’s really no need to examine the nation’s sports pantheon. If it seems ethnocentric that I’ve touched on that for every nation but USA and Canada, well…. it kinda is. But the vast majority of you reading this blog are in the USA (I have sufficient powers to tell me that!) and, Canada’s not so different, are we? 🙂

I don’t know if I can give much in the way of new information on the Americans in this tournament. The beginning of the John Speraw era as captain of the ship has led to what’s seemed like a full wash in terms of roster composition, but of the 12 players from London last summer, 7 are on the roster for the World League. Outside hitter Matt Anderson will serve as floor captain for the World League. Middle blocker David Lee, a veteran of two Olympics, also remains. Paul Lotman also remains, though I’ve seen it called into question exactly how much playing time he’ll get. Brian Thornton will probably get a good long look at setter after the retirement of Don Suxho, as the Americans continue to look for the replacement (and not just a substitute) to Lloy Ball at that position. He will have competition, though. Middle blocker David Smith, a John Speraw man as a UCI alum, returns from his support role at the Olympics. Similar story for Russell Holmes, a BYU alumnus. Perhaps the most unexpected holdover is libero Rich Lambourne, who at 38 is probably only around to ‘pass the torch’ to Erik Shoji until the latter is fully ready to fill the role on a full-time basis.

The infusion of new blood is undeniable. Men Speraw coached and coached against in the MPSF in recent years, now on the Team USA roster, include setters Kyle Caldwell and Kawika Shoji (Erik’s brother; both are sons of longtime Hawaii volleyball coach Dave Shoji), right-side hitters Murphy Troy and Carson Clark, and of course, outside hitter Tony Ciarelli, the AVCA Player of the Year in 2012. Only six guys can be on the court at one time, so I expect a lot of different lineups will be thrown out there to see what sticks, and most importantly who performs best with whom. All of these men have sparking collegiate records, but limited (if indeed any) experience on the senior national team. College success might portend international success, but then again it might not. It’s hard to say.

Interestingly, the Americans’ history of successes at the World League have essentially lined up with Olympiads. They won the World League in 2008, to presage Olympic gold in Beijing later that summer. Last year’s silver came on an Olympiad, where the Americans finished a disappointing 5th. They were also third in the World League back in 1992, before finishing in that some position at the Barcelona Olympics. Only a 2007 bronze medal breaks the pattern (the Americans also won Olympic gold in 1988 in Seoul, but the World League only goes back to 1990).

This tournament will be a trial by fire of sorts for Speraw much as it is for the new players. He has extensive college experience and success — together with Al Scates and Marv Dunphy, they’re the only coaches to have won more than two national championships, and wow is that rarefied air. But the World League is his first experience as national team head coach. The parallels to some of his younger players having junior national experience, just as Speraw has assistant coached for the senior national team, seem pretty apt.

The bottom line is probably that this is probably not itself a major goal for the Americans — it’s step one of a thousand on the way to Rio in 3 years’ time.

So are we looking at a winner?

Bluntly — who the hell knows?

There’s just too many unknowns surrounding this team to be able to say for sure. Back when I thought it was three teams per pool to the finals, I felt pretty confident they’d make it that far, but now that I know it’s just two, I really don’t know. Brazil are in, no question. But Poland, the Americans, Bulgaria….it’s a toss-up. I really can’t even hazard a guess.